Exercise
Description
An in-depth report on the benefits and types of exercise.
Exercise's Effects on Diabetes
Moderate aerobic exercise can lower your risk for type 2 diabetes. An important study found that adults who worked out 2 and 1/2 hours a week cut their risk by 58%.
Exercise has positive benefits for those who have diabetes. It can lower blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, and strengthen the heart. Strength training, which increases muscle and reduces fat, may be particularly helpful for people with diabetes, but evidence is needed to confirm this. One study reported that yoga helped patients with type 2 diabetes reduce their need for oral medications.
In 2005, researchers reporting in the journal
Diabetes Care
documented how much walking inactive people with type 2 diabetes would need to do to improve their health. They found that people who walked a minimum of three miles every day were in better health and had lower medical expenses after two years. Those who remained sedentary for that time period had a decline in health and higher healthcare costs. Those who worked out for 38 minutes per day lowered their blood pressure, cholesterol and AIC levels, and heart disease risk, even if they didn't lose weight. The increase in activity equaled about 2,200 extra steps a day.
An earlier study found that healthy lifestyle changes may work better than the prescription medication metformin (Glucophage) when it comes to preventing metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of risk factors including abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, high triglycerides, and hypertension.
Some Precautions for People With Diabetes Who Exercise
The following are precautions for
all
people with diabetes, whether type 1 or 2:
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Because people with diabetes are at higher than average risk for heart disease, they should always check with their physicians before undertaking vigorous exercise. For best and fastest results, frequent high-intensity (not high-impact) exercises are best for people who are cleared by their physicians. For people who have been sedentary or have other medical problems, lower-intensity exercises are recommended using regimens designed with physicians.
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Strenuous strength training or high-impact exercise is not recommended for people with uncontrolled diabetes. Such exercised exercises can strain weakened blood vessels in the eyes of patients with retinopathy. High-impact exercise may also injure blood vessels in the feet.
Patients who are taking medications that lower blood glucose, particularly insulin, should take special precautions before embarking on a workout program.
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Glucose levels swing dramatically during exercise, people with diabetes should monitor their levels carefully before, during, and after workouts.
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Patients should probably avoid exercise if glucose levels are above 300 mg/dL or under 100 mg/dL.
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To avoid hypoglycemia, diabetics should inject insulin in sites away from the muscles they use the most during exercise.
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They should also drink plenty of fluids. Before exercising, they should also avoid alcohol, which increases the risk of hypoglycemia.
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Insulin-dependent athletes may need to decrease insulin doses or take in more carbohydrates prior to exercise but may need to take an extra dose of insulin after exercise. Stress hormones released during exercise may increase blood glucose levels, in non-diabetics insulin is released to control this. A person with diabetes must regularly test their blood sugar and take any medications as instructed by their doctor.
A person with diabetes must regularly check their blood sugar (glucose) level.
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Review Date: 3/6/2006
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Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital
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